The current financial crisis has exposed major weaknesses in our understanding of how the elements that drive global finance operate. Over several decades, research in finance has concentrated largely on capital markets development, corporate finance and investments at the secondary level. Little attention has, therefore, been paid to financial research that addresses issues impacting on development at the developmental level.

There are thousands of development finance related institutions dotted around the world with more than 800 in Africa alone. Major development finance institutions include the World Bank, African Development Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank to name just a few. Despite the critical role played by development finance institutions in the promotion of economic development, not much has been done to develop a platform for development finance research. Universities and research institutions in Africa and elsewhere have done very little to promote development finance research. As a result of the obvious research gap in development finance, the Global Development Finance (GDFC) established a Development Finance Research Network in 2010 to develop a research platform for development finance research and bring development finance researchers and institutions together. A product of the network is the Review of Development Finance Journal which is published in partnership with Elsevier. The Network also organises the Annual Global Development Finance Conference.

Aims and Objectives DFRN

The aims and objectives of DFRN are:

To develop a global scientific platform for development finance research;

To build a network of development finance researchers, practitioners and institutions;

To provide support to emergent researchers in development finance;

To coordinate a development finance PhD program;

To establish a development finance fellowship between academics, governments and development finance institutions;

To set up a development finance working papers series and;

To coordinate development finance related activities between researchers, governments and development finance institutions

Membership of Network

Membership of the Research Network is free to individuals and institutions. There are two membership groups:

Associate Membership: This is opened to individuals with interest in development finance research;

Institutional Membership: This is opened to Development Finance Institutions, Academic/Research Institutions, Other Institutions with interest in development finance.

Membership Benefits

Members will have access to working papers;

Members will attend Network events (conferences, seminars and workshops) at a discount;

Members will attend Development Finance Training programs at a discount;

Institutional members will be listed on the website of Global Development Finance Centre;